Garment-stay.



'1. F. KITCHEN.

GARMENT STAY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY2I. 1914.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

WITNESSES INVENTOR AF; ll.

JOHN F. KITCHEN, OF MEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE SPIRELLA COMPANY, OF MEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, A. CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

GARMENT-STAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

Application filed July 21, 1914. Serial No. 852,248.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. KITCHEN, a resident of Meadville, in the county of Crawford and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Garment-Stays, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stays for garments and the like, and more particularly to wire stays for corsets.

The object of the invention is to provide a stay of the character described which yields readily in all directions, which is very elastic and resilient, which includes a long length of wire in a stay of given dimen sions, in which successive portions of the stay are mutually supported upon each other, in which bending is not likely to be concentrated at a point or points, thereby avoiding short bends and crystallization of the metal, and in which the overlapping portions of the wire, upon flexure of the stay, contact over a long length oi wire, in order to distribute friction and prevent localization of wear.

The invention comprises a stay constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a face view of one form of stay embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof; and Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are views corresponding to Fig. l and illustrating other embodiments of the invention.

The various forms of stay illustrated in the drawings have been shown considerably exaggerated for clearness of illustration, but it is to be understood that these stays may be of any shape or size depending upon the particular use for which required. The stay is formed of wire, and in the embodiments shown is formed from a single wire 1, which is bent back and forth alternately across the stay to form a succession of longitudinally extending portions 2, which form substantially straight side edges of the stay, and which are connected by transverse portions or crossings 3. The longitudinally extending edge portions 2 are disposed progressively or alternately along opposite edges of the stay, and each end thereof is connected to an end of the next adjacent longitudinal portion on the other edge of the stay by one of the crossing portions 3. Said crossing portions may be of various shapes and include a sinuous S-shaped portion 4L lying intermediate the edges of the stay, and at its opposite ends merging into two transversely extending members or portions of the wire, indicated at 5. The sinuous bends 1 may all lie along the middle line of the stay, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 5 and 6, in which case they form a continuous row of sinuous bends of the wire, which materially strengthens the stay along its middle line, or, alternate sinuous bends may lie on opposite sides of the middle line of the stay, as indicated in Fig. 4:. The transverse members 5 at the ends of the sinuous bends may be substantially straight or in a true transverse line, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, or one or both thereof, may be curved in any suitable manner, as shown at 5, Fig. 4:, or may extend at an angle to a true transverse line, as shown at 5', Figs. 5 and 6. The amount of wire in the stay, or the widthof the stay, may be regulated by varying the length of said transverse members, which is indicated by comparison of the stays shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The arrangement of the longitudinally extending edge portions and transverse crossings produces 'a succession of substantially T-shaped eyes or loops disposed alternately or in progressive arrangement along the edges of the stay. As indicated in Fig. 1, each of said T-shaped loops has two lat eral extensions 6, extending toward the opposite edge of the stay from that on which said loop lies. These T-shaped loops may be symmetrical with respect to a true transverse line, which is the case with the stays shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 6, where the sinuous bends 3 lie along the middle line of the stay, or, they may be unsymmetrical, which is the case with the form shown in Fig. 4, where the sinuous bends are alternately disposed on opposite sides of the middle line, and in Fig. 5 where one of the transverse members, indicated at 5, is straight and is in a true transverse line and the other, indicated at 5 is inclined. Also, if desired, successive loops along each edge of the stay may overlap each other longitudinally of the stay, in order to mutually brace the several portions of the stay upon each other. The overlapping transverse members each include a considerable length of wire so that they do not contact at single points and the wear is distributed over a long length of Wire. This is especially true When the transverse members .are straight and parallel to each other, asshoWn in Figs. 1 and 3.

All forms of the stay described are flexible in all directions, have continuous 7 straight side edges, are reinforced along the center line by a IOWVOI' rows of sinuous bends, are strong and resilient, and have a long life, due to the distribution of the Wire and the prevention of short bends and consequent crystallization of the metal.

What I claim is 1. A garment stay, comprising Wire bent to form a series of loops lying in alternate order'along the tWo edges of the stay, each r the stay.

2. A garment stay, comprising Wire bent to form a series of loops lying in alternate order along the tWo edges of the stay, each loop having an outer straight longitudinal portion on one edge ofthe stay and at each end of said longitudinal portion a transverse portion extending beyond the center line of the stay toward its oppositeedge, each transverse portion being connected to .a transverse portion of the next succeeding loop on the other edge of the stay by an S- shaped bend Whose middle portion extends transversely to the length of the stay.

3. A garment stay, comprising wire bent to form a series of loops lying in alternate order along the two edges of the stay, each loop having an outer straight longitudinal portion on one edge of the stay and at each end of said longitudinal portion a transverse portion extending toward the opposite edge of the stay, each transverse portion being connected to a transverse portion of the next succeeding loop on the other edge of the stay by an S-shaped bend whose middle portion extends transversely to the length of the stay, the transverse portions of successive loops along each edge of the stay overlapping each other.

4. A garment stay, comprising wire bent to form a series of loops lying in alternate order along the two edges of the stay, each loop having an outer straight longitudinal portion on one edge of the stay and at each end of said longitudinal portion a transverse portion extending beyond the center line of the stay toward its opposite edge, each transverse portion being connected to a transverse portion of the nextsuceeeding loop on the other edge of the stay by an S- shaped bend Whose middle portion extends transversely to the length of the stay, the transverse portions of successive loops along each edge of the stay overlapping each other.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN F. KITCHEN.

W. S. SMITH.

Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

